The best way to survive a home fire is to never have one. While some circumstances cannot be prevented such as a lightning strike or a gas leak, there are steps that your elderly loved one can take to reduce the risk of starting a fire in her own home. Taking some preventative action can reduce your concerns about what will happen if a fire breaks out and your loved one is home alone. A home care provider can help fill gaps so your loved one can continue to live safely and independently.
Areas to Review for Fire Prevention
The Kitchen.
The kitchen is probably what you think of when you think about fire prevention. It’s the room that has the stove and often many other electrical appliances so it would make sense to set up the most safety measures in this room to prevent a fire from starting or if it does, prevent it from spreading.
Your elderly loved one can reduce the risk of a kitchen fire using these techniques:
- Don’t wear dangling jewelry or wide sleeves while using the stove. Loose, flowy sleeves may look great but could easily catch fire when reaching over a hot burner.
- Keep all other flammables away from the stove as well. This could include pot holders, towels, and even glass serving dishes that can explode when exposed to too much direct heat.
- Never let cooking oil get too hot. If deep frying in a pan, make sure the oil doesn’t fill the pan more than a third of the way full to prevent spills and nasty burns.
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it. Your loved one shouldn’t be trying to figure out how to use the extinguisher when her first fire breaks out.
- Consider installing a sprinkler system that can quickly put out any fire that may get out of control.
The Bedroom
Another important area to review for safety is the bedroom. One common way for fires to begin is when a smoker falls asleep in bed with a lit cigarette. If your loved one smokes, she should never smoke in bed. If you see an ashtray near her bed, you need to talk about how dangerous it is for her to smoke in bed, even if she thinks she’s going to stay awake.
The Garage
Many fires begin in the garage as flammable materials are often stored in this location. Make sure your loved one knows how to store any flammable liquids she may have and what could become flammable if in an extremely hot garage. Better yet, get rid of all flammable items completely to eliminate any risk.
Home Care Providers Can Help Your Loved One Stay Safe
You may find that as your elderly loved one continues to live at home, she’s not always practicing fire safety habits. A home care provider who comes to the home to help with cooking is one way to prevent accidental fires from occurring. A home care provider will safely use the stove and other appliances so you won’t need to worry about your loved one forgetting to turn off a burner or leaving a pizza in the oven for so long it burns and fills the house with smoke.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Huntington NY, please get in touch with the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call (631) 424-7827
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Long Island and in NYC including Dix Hills, Floral Park, Great Neck, Huntington, Manhasset, Massapequa, Northport, Plainview, Rockville Center, Stonybrook, Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Queens County.
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